After several months in the building stage, the new pedestrian bridge at the Utah Transit Authority’s Provo Central Station will have its official ribbon-cutting Tuesday.

The public is invited to celebrate the new addition with festivities starting at 11 a.m. at 610 S. Freedom Blvd.

“(The) Provo pedestrian bridge improves safety, air quality and connects downtown Provo to the Wasatch Front regional transportation network,” said Carl Arky, UTA spokesperson.

According to a post on the Provo City Government Facebook page, the event will serve as a “soft opening” because elevators within the structure must undergo inspections by the state.

The bridge cost approximately $7 million with 35% coming from federal funding and 65% from local funding.

The event will feature remarks by Jeff Acerson of the UTA board of trustees, Federal Transit Authority representative Cindy Terwilliger, Utah Rep. Kay Christofferson, Provo Mayor Michelle Kaufusi, Union Pacific representative Nathan Anderson and Michelle Carroll, executive director of the Mountainland Association of Governments.

The bridge will span two FrontRunner tracks and two Union Pacific Railroad lines at approximately 600 South and 100 West.

“This area is often blocked by freight trains, making pedestrian passage challenging and at times dangerous, so this new crossing addresses major safety and convenience concerns,” Arky said.

The 145-foot-long structure offers a more efficient and safer alternative for people to access the Provo station, Arky said, and is part of a regional transportation network of walkways and bike facilities designed to draw commuters and other users away from vehicles.

During Kaufusi’s State of the City speech earlier this year, she spoke about some of the things that make Provo exceptional, including the pedestrian bridge.

“There will also be two new pedestrian bridges, the first at the FrontRunner hub in south Provo and the other over University Avenue by the old Provo High School, now owned by Brigham Young University,” Kaufusi said.

The new bridge is near the Millrace housing complex being built across the street from the train and bus hub.

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